diff --git a/vhd/lib/libvhd.c b/vhd/lib/libvhd.c
index ae786196..58e9f04e 100644
--- a/vhd/lib/libvhd.c
+++ b/vhd/lib/libvhd.c
@@ -232,8 +232,8 @@ vhd_checksum_footer(vhd_footer_t *footer)
 	return ~checksum;
 }
 
-int
-vhd_validate_footer(vhd_footer_t *footer)
+static int
+vhd_validate_footer_impl(vhd_footer_t *footer, bool suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
 {
 	int csize;
 	uint32_t checksum;
@@ -244,7 +244,8 @@ vhd_validate_footer(vhd_footer_t *footer)
 		char buf[9];
 		memcpy(buf, footer->cookie, 8);
 		buf[8]= '\0';
-		VHDLOG("invalid footer cookie: %s\n", buf);
+		if (!suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
+			VHDLOG("invalid footer cookie: %s\n", buf);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
@@ -267,15 +268,24 @@ vhd_validate_footer(vhd_footer_t *footer)
 				return 0;
 		}
 
-		VHDLOG("invalid footer checksum: "
-		       "footer = 0x%08x, calculated = 0x%08x\n",
-		       footer->checksum, checksum);
+		if (!suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
+		{
+			VHDLOG("invalid footer checksum: "
+			       "footer = 0x%08x, calculated = 0x%08x\n",
+			       footer->checksum, checksum);
+		}
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+vhd_validate_footer(vhd_footer_t *footer)
+{
+    return vhd_validate_footer_impl(footer, false);
+}
+
 uint32_t
 vhd_checksum_header(vhd_header_t *header)
 {
@@ -841,8 +851,8 @@ vhd_put_batmap(vhd_context_t *ctx)
 /*
  * look for 511 byte footer at end of file
  */
-int
-vhd_read_short_footer(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer)
+static int
+vhd_read_short_footer_impl(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer, bool suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
 {
 	off64_t eof;
 	void *buf;
@@ -860,6 +870,19 @@ vhd_read_short_footer(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (((eof - 511) % VHD_SECTOR_SIZE) != 0) {
+		/*
+		 * The VHD file with short footer should have the size in the form 512 * n + 511,
+		 * also vhd_read on block VHDs won't succeed if trying to read from a position
+		 * that is not a multiple of 512.
+		 */
+		if (!suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
+			VHDLOG("%s: failed reading short footer: file size does not meet requirement",
+					ctx->file);
+		err = -EINVAL;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	err = vhd_seek(ctx, eof - 511, SEEK_SET);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
@@ -881,10 +904,10 @@ vhd_read_short_footer(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer)
 	memcpy(footer, buf, sizeof(vhd_footer_t));
 
 	vhd_footer_in(footer);
-	err = vhd_validate_footer(footer);
+	err = vhd_validate_footer_impl(footer, suppress_invalid_footer_warning);
 
 out:
-	if (err)
+	if (err && !suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
 		VHDLOG("%s: failed reading short footer: %d\n",
 		       ctx->file, err);
 	free(buf);
@@ -892,7 +915,13 @@ vhd_read_short_footer(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer)
 }
 
 int
-vhd_read_footer_at(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer, off64_t off)
+vhd_read_short_footer(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer)
+{
+    return vhd_read_short_footer_impl(ctx, footer, false);
+}
+
+static int
+vhd_read_footer_at_impl(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer, off64_t off, bool suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
 {
 	void *buf;
 	int err;
@@ -917,16 +946,22 @@ vhd_read_footer_at(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer, off64_t off)
 	memcpy(footer, buf, sizeof(vhd_footer_t));
 
 	vhd_footer_in(footer);
-	err = vhd_validate_footer(footer);
+	err = vhd_validate_footer_impl(footer, suppress_invalid_footer_warning);
 
 out:
-	if (err)
+	if (err && !suppress_invalid_footer_warning)
 		VHDLOG("%s: reading footer at 0x%08"PRIx64" failed: %d\n",
 		       ctx->file, off, err);
 	free(buf);
 	return err;
 }
 
+int
+vhd_read_footer_at(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer, off64_t off)
+{
+    return vhd_read_footer_at_impl(ctx, footer, off, false);
+}
+
 int
 vhd_read_footer(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer, bool use_bkp_footer)
 {
@@ -942,11 +977,16 @@ vhd_read_footer(vhd_context_t *ctx, vhd_footer_t *footer, bool use_bkp_footer)
 		return -errno;
 
 	if (!use_bkp_footer) {
-		err = vhd_read_footer_at(ctx, footer, off - 512);
+		/*
+		 * As we will read the backup footer if the primary one is invalid,
+		 * stop complaining the primary one is invalid
+		 */
+
+		err = vhd_read_footer_at_impl(ctx, footer, off - 512, true);
 		if (err != -EINVAL)
 			return err;
 
-		err = vhd_read_short_footer(ctx, footer);
+		err = vhd_read_short_footer_impl(ctx, footer, true);
 		if (err != -EINVAL)
 			return err;
 	}